


Consider The Stars

by pictureswithboxes



Series: Modern AU In Which The Heathers Are A Group Of Mean Lesbians And Veronica Feels Like Jane Goodall [3]
Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe
Genre: But it's basically just Chandler and Duke in this one, F/F, Fluff, Heather McNamara makes a cameo appearance and they mention her a couple times, Soft and Gay Heathers is important, This is pure fluff, it's implied Chandler/Duke/McNamara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:33:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29121975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pictureswithboxes/pseuds/pictureswithboxes
Summary: "She found Chandler standing on the back porch and leaning against the railing, she was looking up at the sky. Heather smiled a little as she approached. Chandler wasn’t the kind of person who gave a shit about constellations, that would be Mac, but there was something about the night sky that captivated Chandler ever since she was a child."
Relationships: Heather Chandler/Heather Duke
Series: Modern AU In Which The Heathers Are A Group Of Mean Lesbians And Veronica Feels Like Jane Goodall [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2090151
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Consider The Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, me posting twice in one day? How is that possible you ask? Simple! This idea hit me like a ton of bricks and I couldn't not write it! 
> 
> The need was so strong that I wrote this baby in 45 minutes!

Heather Duke was awakened by the feeling of movement in bed, she groaned and tried to ignore it, chalking it up to either Chandler or Mac shifting in their sleep. That was until she heard footsteps. Heather sat up and looked to her left, Mac was still sound asleep, snoring lightly as if nothing had happened. Chandler usually slept on Mac’s other side, but that part of the bed was empty. 

Heather took a moment to glance out the window and sighed a little to herself. It was a ridiculously clear night, the moon looked enormous. 

Placing a small kiss on Mac’s forehead before slipping out from underneath the covers and climbing gingerly out of bed. She quietly walked down the stairs, and toward the back door. Chandler had been kind enough to leave every light on in her path, so Heather didn’t trip over anything on her way to follow her. 

She found Chandler standing on the back porch and leaning against the railing, she was looking up at the sky. Heather smiled a little as she approached. Chandler wasn’t the kind of person who gave a shit about constellations, that would be Mac, but there was something about the night sky that captivated Chandler ever since she was a child. When Heather had asked her about it, Chandler had simply stated that it made her feel small and insignificant.

Heather would never understand how that was a positive thing. 

“You’re up late.” Heather said, approaching Chandler quietly. She stood next to her at the railing and looked up. 

“Actually I’m up early.” Chandler said. “It’s three AM.” 

Chandler had a talent of knowing exactly what she had to say to piss Heather off more than anything. 

“God, I can’t stand you.” Heather sighed, she couldn’t help but laugh a little though. She nudged Chandler lightly with her elbow. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Chandler said. “Heather’s a fucking radiator. I needed some air before I overheated.”

“That’s all?” 

“That’s all.”

They stayed like that, standing in silence and staring at the sky, for a while. Heather loved moments like these, when she and Chandler could just shut up for a couple minutes and just enjoy each others’ company. Sure, it was funny to say mean shit to Chandler, and their arguments were entertaining to say the least, but they weren’t real. This, being able to just stand beside each other, that was real. 

Heather let her hand drift toward Chandler’s, stopping just short of making contact. Chandler seemed to notice this and moved her hand the rest of the way, their pinkies brushed up against each others’. This reminded Heather of a moment from the most recent book she’d been reading. She glanced over at Chandler, whose eyes were still transfixed on the sky. 

“What are you thinking about?” Chandler asked, not looking away from the stars. 

“‘Johnny and I stretched out on our backs and looked at the stars.’” Heather said, thinking back to the book she’d been reading and trying her best to remember exactly what the latest page had said. “‘I was freezing--- it was a cold night and all I had was that sweat shirt, but I could watch stars in sub-zero weather. I saw Johnny's cigarette glowing in the dark and wondered vaguely what it was like inside a burning ember...’”

“What’s that from?” Chandler spared Heather a quick glance, placing her hand on top of Heather’s. She squeezed it once, then a second time. There was the smallest hint of a smile gracing her features. 

“The Outsiders.” Heather replied. “By S.E. Hinton. I’m almost done with it, you might like it. It’s really good.”

Chandler hummed. “Is Heather still asleep?” She asked. Chandler had no interest in books, she had a hard time focusing on reading for school. Let alone for fun. 

“Subject change alert.” Heather muttered, earning a laugh from Chandler. “And yes, Heather’s still asleep.”

“We should get back up soon.” Chandler said. “Don’t want her to wake up and not know where we’ve been.”

“She’d look out the window and be able to take a guess.” Heather replied, she leaned into Chandler a little, feeling the warmth that Chandler gave off. “Besides, she’s not getting up any time soon. We can stay out here for as long as you need.” She paused and looked at the sky again. 

All she saw were the stars, Chandler had to see something else. Something more. 

“I don’t get what you see when you look up there.” Heather said quietly. “Do you think you could explain it? Help me get it? I just... all I see are white dots.”

“It’s hard to explain.” Chandler said. “But there’s so much out there. So much we haven’t seen. So much I’ll never see. And I look up there at all that... stuff up there, it makes everything down here feel so much smaller. You know?” 

Heather stayed quiet, her eyes fixed on the sky. 

“I just...” Chandler took in a breath. “Looking up at all those stars, at that big, vast space. It’s endless. Every problem I have feels like nothing. When I look up there, I don’t have to worry about school, or my parents, or being gay in a homophobic town. Or coming out as gay to my homophobic parents. I just look up at the stars and it all falls away.”

“Oh.” Heather nodded and looked at Chandler. “Well, we can stay here for as long as you want. There’s no rush.” 

Chandler squeezed Heather’s hand again, her jaw clenched and unclenched a couple times. It was like she was trying to figure out what she was going to say next, but couldn’t decide on what it was. She blinked a couple times and shook her head a little before looking at Heather.

“Thank you.” Chandler said, her voice was raspy and her eyes were shiny. 

She had tears in her eyes. Heather frowned, normally she’d say something and start an argument. Maybe they’d smack each other a couple times, but she didn’t want to ruin this moment. It was a rare sight, to see Heather Chandler, the most put together girl in the world, show any kind of vulnerability. 

She was like a baby bird when she got this way. 

“Of course.” Heather said, she used her shoulder to nudge Chandler lightly. “You know, if Heather were here right now, she’d say something gross and sappy.” 

Chandler smiled a little and used her free hand to wipe her eyes. “Right. Like ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m always here if you need me’ or some other shit like that.” 

“Yeah.” Heather said. “It’s a good thing we don’t say that, it would ruin the whole moment.”

Chandler nodded. “Yeah.” 

They fell into silence again, staring up at the night sky. Heather tried to see how Chandler saw it, a little bit of perspective helped, but still, all she saw were those little white dots littering a dark background. They stayed like that for a while, before the cold, night air finally got to Heather and she had to pull away and head inside. 

She could have kicked herself for not putting on a jacket or bringing a blanket. 

Heather stood there for a moment, her hand on the doorknob, and looked back at Chandler. She’d be in when she was ready, or when it got too cold for her to stand it anymore. But until then, she’d be out there on the porch, looking out into the sky and considering the stars. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I have beta readers. And yes they hate that I demand their services nearly 24/7. But they love having a front row seat to my nonsense, so I think we're even.


End file.
